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It took longer than planned, but Molly Picklum is a world champion. It took staring down losing the seemingly unlosable title.
But the 22-year-old is officially a world champion. Picklum needed a come-from-behind final victory in heaving 10-12 foot Cloudbreak waves to keep American Olympic gold medallist Caroline Marks at bay in Fiji.
Surfing seven heats in eight hours in a marathon effort, Marks threatened to pinch the ultimate fairytale title from a fifth-placed finish.
Marks had to knock off Hawaiians Bettylou Johnson and Gabriela Bryan, as well as reigning world champion Caitlin Simmers, just to make the WSL winner-takes-all final event.
Picklum’s first-place finish in the regular season meant she could have secured the title with one heat win, but Marks produced a 12.5-10.5 upset to trigger a best-of-three showdown.
Seemingly out-of-sorts and struggling to pick the best waves in challenging Cloudbreak sets after watching and waiting all morning, Picklum regrouped as Brazilian world No.1 Yago Dora claimed the men’s title.
While Dora needed just one heat to dust a gallant Griffin Colapinto 15.66-12.33, Picklum returned a different beast in the second and third title heats.
Her blistering 8.83 barrel set up a comfortable 15.83-8.03 win in the second clash with Marks.
Brazilian Yago Dora celebrates his world title win at Cloudbreak.Credit: World Surf League
Picklum didn’t leave the water for the 20 minutes between that win and the deciding heat as she took counsel from coach Mitch Ross, while Marks rested on a boat loitering in the Cloudbreak channel.
The Australian shot out with a seven-point ride of powerful carving turns to start the third encounter and establish a lead she never surrendered.
Marks’ full day in the water caught up with her as she finally faltered in her wave selection. With 25 minutes to go, Picklum effectively had the title in hand the moment she pulled into a clean 8.83-point barrel.
By the final’s end, Picklum was scoring a slashing 8.10 for fun, with her boyfriend Austin Hendery hooting and hollering on a surfboard nearby as the clock ticked down.
In her fourth season on tour, Picklum is the first Australian to claim the world title since Stephanie Gilmore in 2022. She joins the eight-time winner, as well as Layne Beachley, Wendy Botha, Tyler Wright, Chelsea Hedges, Pam Burridge, and Paula Menczer as Australia’s female champions.
Compatriot Jack Robinson was barely able to fire a shot in his elimination 4 v 5 final against Brazilian Italo Ferreira earlier in the day.
With the initially swell proving smaller and less predictable than forecast, Ferreira’s aerial game had Robinson comfortably covered in a 14.33 to 5.83 that ended the Australian’s world title bid.
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